Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1887-04-22
LODGE AWAKE.

The Action of the Grand Lodge Re-
cetves Hearty COndemnatiOn-The
Meeting Last Nfght-KingingS speech
es-Ta1k About Town Yesterday
Hon. N. Id. Sperry Not Decapitated
masonicalIy-Talk in General.
Old Hiram's members discussed last even
ing the situation at their meeting. "Busi-
ness was going OF usual at the old stand,
said member. cold Hiram is seven hun
dred strong and not bit discounted at the
Grand lodges action. Most of US had dis
counted it. We are proud of our position
with the exception of about thirty members,
and don't know but that they are preparing
to think fight too. Old Hiram is coming out
ahead in this matter and don't you forget it.
We have our old charter to sail under. We
think it good enough charter. It is one to
be proud of and its 1873 years of age only for
titles us in our position, which we consider,
in fact, invulnerable.
sWhat does the edict of the Grand lodge
signifya Is it pope's bull against the comets
1t is just about that. and we don't scare
worth cent. Old Hiram is not boasting,
but we are not afraid. We stand on the
platform that the Grand lodge was acting
unconstitutionally in demanding change in
our old established Masonic work. We
think she has acted still more
unconstitutionally in doing what
she did at Hartford. We attacked not the
Grand lodge. 1t assailed us. 1t had over
looked differences of work in other lodges
and had tacitly sanctioned our work, which
is Masonic to the fullest extent and Is time
honored and correct. We court the fullest
enquiry into the merits of our case. But
Mr.. Sperry was not expelled; the press dis
patch was in error on the subject. MIR.
Sperry was not on trial and is not Hiram
member. The others were expelled as stated.
But they will continue in good fellowship
and standing in Hiram lodge, of course, all
the same, only they will be made more of
than ever, having suffered the blight of the
Grand lodges disfavor for the lodges sake"
Said another man: If the Grand lodge
goes further and prohibits members of other
lodges holding intercourse with Hiram lodge,
they will ignore it and fellowship with Hiram
just the same.
Hon. n. D. Sperry was interviewed yester-
day as he was getting out of his carriage
from a visit to the soldiers monument and
said, smilingly: "No; you can say that was
not expelled; that was an error. But you
may say that I consider that the
Grand lodge has exceeded its constitutional
limits. The Grand lodge has got into
foolish mess. No; am not one of the ex-
PEELED. Mr.. Benton, who stayed all through
the session of the Grand lodge on Wednes-
day, says my name WIS not brought up and
1 was not on trial for .nything." Mr. Sperry
met prominent Masonic brother of Hiram
on Chapel street yesterday and considerable
bantering passed between them over the al
legged expelling of the former, and Mr.. Sper-
ry was constantly accosted by citizens on the
subject. He had been associated with
Hiram's contest as an outsider sim
ply, but had been called in by the lodge in
council and acted in that capacity.
Ind T Of "a
and one of the leaders at Hiram's meetings
who spoke e1oquently in denunciation of the
action of the Grand lodge in ordering Hiram
to change it's work, said that from all that he
had gathered from prominent Masons IN and
out of Hiram lodge, that Hiram's position in
the case was sound and right and hence he
had given his support to Hiram in the mat
ter. Hiram lodge is in possession of her
charter, records, her funds and property and
of the Masonic temple, the same as hereto
fore. Hiram declared the Grand lodge to be
wrong, and practically put the Grand lodge
in the wrong; Grand Master Green, Mr..
Lockwood and their advisers in managing
the Grand lodge at present felt
sore because Hiram ignored their as
sumptions of authority and have re-
taliated just as we all expected they would.
So far as Hiram and her members are con-
cerned have no doubt before any proper
tribunal, including the courts if in any way
Grand lodge will be shown to be untenable.
We don't feel we've been injured in the
slightest degree in the action taken by the
Grand lodge in the ex-parte hearing yester-
day, and we are only sorry that the course
of the gentlemen running the Grand lodge
at present should have produced scandal
about Free Masonry, and have no
doubt, however, in the end that good will
result to the cause of Free Masonry on
account of the present controversy, because
some of these arbitrary assumptions of
power by the Grand lodge officers will be
stopped.
Lawyer Julius Twiss, one of the expelled
and prominent in Hiram's course, in an in
terview yesterday reaffrmed Hiram's position
as correct and right. The Grand lodge
didn't love Hiram any too well, probably
because Hiram did not fall down and wcr-
ship the Grand lodge. The grand master
has been considered as for long time in
imica1 to Hirams interests. At this same
Grand lodges last annual session one of its
past officers and also a present officer of the
same body followed the very same form used